Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council
Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Waseca, Minnesota, designated for arts, culture, and humanities purposes. The organization has been tax-exempt since January 1994. It operates as a regional arts council serving a nine-county area in south-central Minnesota.
Key facts about Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council
- EIN
- 41-1761756
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $420,545
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- Average grant
- $7,378
- Median grant
- $8,313
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (11 of 57, 2025)
- Total assets
- $295,429
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council's 57 itemized 2025 grants were Minnesota (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Mankato, MN (20 grants), St Peter, MN (8 grants), New Ulm, MN (5 grants) and Fairmont, MN (3 grants). None of its 57 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Ach" (57 grants).
Is Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 57 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council
- How to evaluate Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$295K
+14.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$421K
-1.8% YoY
Grant Count
57
+7.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$7K
-8.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council serves the artistic communities of the 9-county area of south central Minnesota by supporting the creation and presentation of diverse art forms, fostering equitable access to arts opportunities, and integrating arts and culture to enhance quality of life in our communities.
The organization provides promotion, technical and developmental assistance, and grants to non-profit arts organizations, community groups, schools, and individual artists.
Grantmaking
Prairie Lakes distributes grants to area organizations, individuals, and community groups for arts development, promotion, and technical assistance.
Grant Range
$9,000
Review Cycle
posted on the organization's website.
Ready to take the next step with Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Prairie Lakes serves nine counties in south-central Minnesota: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, and Watonwan. The region covers 5,133 square miles with 233,081 residents. Blue Earth County is the largest populated county in the region with 67,653 residents, including the city of Mankato with 42,931 residents.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 57 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
FY 2024 (Year Ending June 30, 2024):
- Total Revenue: $1,045,634
- Total Expenses: $1,012,837
- Net Income: $32,797
- Total Assets: $295,429
- Total Liabilities: $15,724
- Net Assets: $279,705
Revenue Breakdown:
- Contributions: $1,030,383 (98.5%)
- Investment Income: $8,013 (0.8%)
- Other Revenue: $7,238 (0.7%)
Expense Breakdown:
- Grants & Assistance: $705,400 (69.6%)
- Salaries and Wages: $165,449 (16.3%)
- Compensation & Benefits: $220,943 (21.8%)
- Service Providers: $19,016 (1.9%)
- Other Expenses: $67,478 (6.7%)
Staff: 4 employees (as of FY 2024)
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $295,429 | $258,370 | $212,278 |
| Revenue | $1,045,634 | $954,153 | $781,166 |
| Expenses | $1,012,837 | $918,972 | $669,960 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $8,013 | $8,180 | $3,203 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 18, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 23, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 18, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 14, 2026)
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
224 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Carnegie Art Center ($9,000), City Center Partnership ($9,000), City of Green Ilse ($9,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CARNEGIE ART CENTER Mankato, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| CITY CENTER PARTNERSHIP Mankato, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| CITY OF GREEN ILSE Green Isle, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| HACER Mankato, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| IMAGINE MARTIN Fairmont, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| MINNESOTA OVER 60 BAND St Peter, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| OLD TOWN MANKATO DAY OF THE DEAD North Mankato, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| THE GRAND CENTER FOR ARTS & CULTURE New Ulm, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| UNITING CULTURES MULTICULTURAL FIE St James, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
| MADELIA ARTS COLLABORATIVE Madelia, MN | ACH | $9,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Mark Wamma – President
- Moni Harper – President-Elect
- Julie Forderer – Director
- Emily Heinis – Director
- Michael Looft – Secretary/Treasurer
- Additional board members include: Devon Lawrence, Tricia Lewis, Randy Mediger, Kjerstin Moody, Kerry Nagel Allen, Gabriela Roemhildt, Sandy Sunde, Dave Wahl, and Korey Woodley
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Forderer | Director | 1 | — |
| Moni Harper | President-El | 1 | — |
| Emily Heinis | Director | 1 | — |
| Devon Lawrence | Director | 1 | — |
| Tricia Lewis | Director | 1 | — |
| Michael Looft | Secretary/Tr | 1 | — |
| Randy Mediger | Past Preside | 1 | — |
| Kjerstin Moody | Director | 1 | — |
| Kerry Nagel-Allen | Director | 1 | — |
| Gabriela Roemhildt | Director | 1 | — |
| Sandy Sunde | Director | 1 | — |
| Dave Wahl | Director | 1 | — |
| Mark Wamma | President | 1 | — |
| Korey Woodley | Director | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 29, Waseca, MN 56093
Physical Address: 105 22nd Ave NE Suite A, Waseca, MN 56093
Phone: 507-833-8721
Email: info@plrac.org
Website: www.plrac.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council fund?
**Mission Statement:** The Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council serves the artistic communities of the 9-county area of south central Minnesota by supporting the creation and presentation of diverse art forms, fostering equitable access to arts opportunities, and integrating arts and culture to enhance quality of life in our communities. The organization provides promotion, technical and developmental assistance, and grants to non-profit arts organizations, community groups, schools, and individ…
How do I apply for a grant from Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council?
Prairie Lakes distributes grants to area organizations, individuals, and community groups for arts development, promotion, and technical assistance. **Recent Grant Activity (FY2024):** • Total granted: $640,000 • Number of grants: 53 • Median grant size: $9,000 • Largest grant: $9,000 **Current Grant Programs (FY 2027):** • **Flexible Support ($5,000–$15,000):** Funding for operations, organizational capacity building, and arts programming to create and sustain access to the arts in the nine-co…
Where does Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council make grants?
Prairie Lakes serves nine counties in south-central Minnesota: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, and Watonwan. The region covers 5,133 square miles with 233,081 residents. Blue Earth County is the largest populated county in the region with 67,653 residents, including the city of Mankato with 42,931 residents.
What size grants does Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council award?
In 2025, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council awarded 57 grants totaling $421K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council's EIN?
Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1761756. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.